Road-grader.



J. W. BRANNAN.

ROAD GRADER.

APPLICATION FILED MAYIB. 1917.

Patented Nov. 20, 1917.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

mucuEo-z J. W. BKHNNHN he corre- I161 Wheel Uhe frame W 1cm 0% the otosed y to lard port army awa ally dis};

A Tertic rail entmn,

m'wam spnncnng moved 0 to the posts 3 Ms 5, t

and s e 09 1) arranged zqalcmze l '1 upon LL I: am in bol a t 'votalLits 12. BetWe' each axle 14: P are axles 1 itmnsverse 00 side bear thelower end of said frame 26 being connected by the brace rods 27 to thearcuate bars 9. A vertically disposed rod or shaft 28 extends upwardlythrough the platform 17 and above the support 18, said rod having a handwheel 29 on its upper end and being mounted at its lower end in asuitable bearing 30 on the frame 26. Chains 31 are also wound fromrelatively opposite directions upon this shaft or rod and extend overguide pulleys 32 on the forward ends of the bars 9, the other ends ofsaid chains being connected to the relatively opposite ends of one ofthe bars 5. A ratchet 33 is fixed upon the rod 28 immediately above theplatform 17 and is adapted to be engaged by a pivoted pawl 34, wherebysaid rod or shaft may be held against reverse turning movement.Byrotating this shaft in the proper direction, it is apparent that thebars 5 will be turned upon the bolt 8 on the lower end of the upright,so that the axes of rotation of the wheels 15 may be angularly disposedwith respect to the line of movement of the machine. Thus, the movementof the machine may be readil ided or directed and the draft upon thehorses or other animals pulling the same considerably lessened.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, the construction, manner of operation, andseveral advantages of my invention will be clearly and fully understood.The device as a whole is relatively simple in its construction, notliableto get'out of order, and it is also exceedingly strong and durableand Capable of manufacture at relatively small cost.

My invention may be employed in connection with various types of roadgraders, and while I have herein shown and described the preferredconstruction and arrangement of the several elements, it is of course tobe understood that the same are susceptible of considerable modificationand I, therefore, reserve the privilege of adopting all such legitimatechanges as may be fairly embodied within the spirit and scope of theinvention as claimed.

Having thus fully described my invention,

what I desire to claim and secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The combination of a frame and arouately disposed bars fixed thereto,individual wheel axles, spaced beams between the ends of which saidaxles are pivotally mounted for vertical tilting movement, meanscentrally connecting said beams to the frame and permitting of thehorizontal pivotal movement of the beams, ground wheels revolublymounted upon said axles, antifriction rollers carried by said axles andupon which said arcuate bars are engaged, a lever fulcrumed intermediateof its ends upon the frame, link connections between the ends of saidlever and the inner ends of the wheel axles, manually'operable meansconnected to the lever to oscillate the same and move the wheel axlesvertically in relatively opposite directions but dispose the wheels incorresponding vertically inclined planes, and additional manuallyoperable means to move the spaced beams horizontally and angularlyposition the axles with respect to the line of movement of the machine.

2. The combination with a frame having spaced arcuate bars, supportingwheels for the frame each having an axle, bearing members fixed to theopposite side faces of each axle, anti-friction rollers mounted upon thebearing members upon which the arcuate bars are engaged, a verticallydisposed shaft rotatably mounted in the frame, flexible elementsconnected to the shaft at one of their ends and winding in oppositedirections thereon, the other ends of said elements being connected tothe respective axles, and guides for said chains on the forward ends ofsaid arcuate bars, said axles being shiftable in opposite directionsbeneath said bars upon the rotation of the shaft to angnlarly positionthe wheels with respect to the line of movement of the machine.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aitix my signature in the presence oftwo witnesses.

JOHN \V. BRANNAN. l/Vitnesses:

J. T. JOHNSTON, D. M. WILEY.

